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ATTOR/V 5 2,956,741Y E OF TrSheets-Sheet 1 B B w E am um Ew V IG SN NI 0T PC SE EF RF E Y 0m 6 9 v1|- 8, 1 ,d O

ULATING MACHINE CAPABL -AUTOMATIC MULTIPLICATIO Filed Jan. l2, 1955 CHRISTOPHER FR EDERICK WEBB Filed Jan. 12, 1955 Oct. 18, 1960 c EBB 2,956,741

F. W KEW-RESPONSIVE CALCULATING MACHINE CAPABLE OF EFFECTING SEMI-AUTOMATIC MULTIFLICATION '7 Sheets-Sheet 2 /NVENTOR 'CHRISTOPHER FREDERICK WEBB B /ZAMQJ n ,l TOR/V S Oct. 18, 1960 c. F. WEBB 2,956,741

KEY-RESPONSIVE CALCULATING MACHINE CAPABLE oF EFFECTING SEMI-AUTOMATIC MULTIPLICATION Filed Jan. l2, 1955 '7 Sheets-Sheet 3 /NVEA/TOA CHRISTOPHER FREDERICK WEBB ATTO/@VE 4 S 0d 18, 1950 c. F. WEBB 2,956,741

KEY-RESPONSIVE CALCULATING MACHINE CAPABLE OF EFFECTING SEMI-AUTOMATIC MULTIPLICATION Filed Jan. 12. 1955 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 CHRISTOPHER FREDERICK WEBB O'ct'. 18, 1960 c. F. WEBB 2,956,741

KEY-RESPONSIVE CALCULATING MACHINE CAPABLE 0F EFFECTING SEMI-AUTOMATIC MULTIPLICATION Filed Jan. l2, 1955 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 /IVVENTOR HRISTOPHER FREDERICK WEBB /bydudaql l? ATTORNEYS Oct. 18, 1960 c. F. WEBB KEY-RESPONSIVE CALCULATING MACHINE CAPABLE o EFFECTING SEMI-Au'rowx'rrc MULTIPLICATION Filed Jan. 12. 1955 '7 Sheets Sheet 6 /NVENT'Q CHRISTOPHER FREDERICK WEBB Oct. 18, 1960 c. F. WEBB 2,956,741

xEY-REsPoNsIvB cALcuLArr-ING MACHINE CAPABLE: oF EFFECTING SEMI-AUTOMATIC MULTIPLICATION 7 Sheets-Sheet '7 Filed Jan. 12. 1955 E l Q /NVENTOR CHRISTOPHER FREDERICK WEBB ATTORIV YS United States Patent Oiiice Patented Oct. 18, 1960 KEY-RESPONSIVE CALCULATING MACHINE CA- PABLE OF EFFE'CTING SEMI-AUTOMATIC MUL- TIPLICATION Christopher Frederick Webb, London, England, assignor to Bell Punch Company Limited, London, England, a British company Filed Ilan. 12, 1955, Ser. No. '481,418 Claims priority, application Great Britain Jan. 12, 1954 9 Claims. (Cl. 23S-62) 'I'his invention is for improvements in or relating to a power driven key-responsive calculating machine of the type having an actuating mechanism and accumulator mechanism therefor and power mechanism operable in response to depression of a numeral key to actuate said actuating mechanism and to drive said accumulator.

A key-responsive power driven calculating machine of the above type comprises a mechanism in which, although no further and independent operation other than the actuation of the numeral keys is necessary to effect adding, nevertheless, the force applied to the keys is not the force that operates the actuating mechanism. Such a method of operation is known as key responsive in View of the fact that the actuation of the keys brings actuating mechanism into operative engagement with a source of power, so that the calculating operation automatically follows the actuation of the keys.

In a key-responsive power driven calculating machine of the type referred to in which the four processes of arithmetic can be carried into eiect, the larger proportion of the calculations made is for addition and multiplication.

With regard to addition, the consecutive operation of the digit keys is well known and it is believed that any automatic assistance to the manual operation of the keys would not produce any better or quicker results. Multiplication, on the other hand is effected by repetitive actuation of the actuating mechanism by the operator holding by his fingers the selected key or keys of one or more orders of keys representing the multiplicand and by repeated strokes representing iirstly the units digit of the multiplier, followed by similar operations for the tens, hundreds, thousands digit, etc., the fingers, at the completion of the strokes for the units digit of the multiplier, being shifted to the next adjacent order of keys for repeated strokes representing the tens digit of the multiplier, and so on.

This well known process of multiplication requires skilled operation to ensure that the machine is employed correctly and rapidly and it is an object of the present invention to provide means whereby one actuation of the keys representing the multiplicand is sutiicient to obtain automatic insertion of the multiplicand into the accumulators any required number of times from one up to nine.

According to the present invention there is provided a power `driven calculating machine having a plurality of orders of keys, the actuation of a key of any one order of keys gauging the digital actuation of an Iactuating mechanism associated with that order of keys, an accumulator mechanism operable by said actuating mechanism, and means operable, upon the sequential actuation of the groups of keys which represent the digits of two independent numbers, to effect as a result of the actuation of the keys for the digits of the last inserted number the repeated actuation of the actuating mechanism of the orders of keys of the said last inserted number.

Again according to the present invention there is provided a power driven calculating machine having a plurality of orders of keys, the actuation of a key of any one order of keys gauging the digital actuation of an actuating mechanism associated with that order of keys, an accumulator mechanism operable by said actuating mechanism, and means operable, upon the sequential actuation of the groups of keys which represent the digits of two independent numbers, to effect as a result of the actuation of the keys of the last inserted number the repeated actuation of the actuating mechanism of the orders of keys of the said last inserted number in the same sequence as that in which the keys representing the last inserted number are actuated.

Again according to the present invention there is provided a power driven key-responsive calculating machine having a plurality of orders of keys, an actuating mechanism, and an accumulator mechanism, and wherein the digit or digits representing a multiplier and a multiplicand are each set up once upon the key board of the machine and thereafter the multiplication of the multiplicand by at least one number in excess of l represented by a selected digit of the multiplier is automatically effected without further depression of the keys representing the digits of the multiplicand.

Again according to the present invention there is provided in a key-responsive calculating machine having, for each of a plurality of orders, an accumulator mechanism and actuating mechanism therefor, power mechanism, a normally disengaged connector between said power mechanism and the actuating mechanism; keys for gauging the digital actuation of said actuating mechanism, means for holding said connector in disengaged position, means operable in response to depression of any one of said keys to cause the connector to engage with the power mechanism to effect operation of the actuating mechanism and means operable in response to depression of any one of said keys to cause said connector to engage the power mechanism and cause repeated actuation of said actuating mechanism.

Further, according to the present invention there is provided a key-responsive calculating machine comprising a plurality of ordinal banks of keys each bank having an accumulator mechanism and actuating mechanism therefor, power mechanism, keys in each bank of keys for gauging the digital actuation of said actuating mechanism, means operable in response to depression of such keys to cause the power mechanism to effect operation of the actuating mechanism to operate the accumulator mechanism, and means operable by said keys acting to cause repeated actuation of said actuating mechanism.

The invention will be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l illustrates in side elevation a section 0n substantially the central line of a machine constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 illustrates in sectional elevation the manner in which the selector rack rods are supported at their rearward ends 4in the frame of the counting mechanism.

Figure 3 illustrates in plan view the counting mechanism which controls the repetitive actuation of the actuating mechanism.

Figure 4 illustrates in plan the sequence bar which ensures that the digits of the multiplier are taken in sequence.

Figure 5 illustrates a selector rack rod which has been laterally displaced so as to engage with the counting plate of the counting mechanism.

Figures 6 and 7 illustrate the means whereby when the machine illustrated in Figure 1 is set for repetitive actuation the sequence bar is moved into operative position from which it operates independently of the setting of the multiplier carriage.

Figure 8 illustrates the connection between the counting mechanism and the latch member controlling the movement of the actuating mechanism of the machine.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. l; and

Fig. l() is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 10-10 of Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawings the present invention will behereinafter described with reference to a Ikey responsive power driven calculating machine having a plurality of orders of keys of the type set forth in United States Patent No. 2,756,932 which comprises a machine having a plurality of orders or ordinal banks of keys and of which the actuating mechanism is capable of operation at a speed of at least 300 strokes per minute. It is believed that a description of a single order of such a machine will suffice for a full appreciation of the application of the present invention toa complete machine.

The specific embodiment of' one order of a key responsive power driven caluclating machine having a plurality of orders of keysto which the present invention will be shown as applicable comprises an accumulator mechanism having a main numeral wheel 1 which is given an angular displacement, which variesaccording to the digital value ofthe key operated in a bank of keys 2, a reciprocatable quadrant rack 3 normally held out of engagement with a numeral wheel pinion 4 operatively connected to the numeral wheel 1 and which quadrant rack moves to its key-selected position before being permitted to engage with the numeral wheel pinion 4 for registration during the return stroke of the quadrant rack 3. The accumulator mechanism of the machine conforms substantially to accumulator mechanisms well known in the art and, therefore, will not hereinafter be specifically described.

A single order of the machine comprises a series of plates spaced apart by tubes having rods or bolts extending centrally therethrough and transversely through the machine to form a complete framework. Various other stationary transordinal shafts or rods also extend through the machine.

A bell crank lever 5 and a V-shaped lever 6 are pivoted respectively on a pair of transordinal rods 7 and 8 and are freely coupled together by a coupling bar 9.

One arm of the bell crank lever 5 is pivoted at its free end to one end of a link 10, the other end of which is pivotally connected to a crank arm 11 at the elbow thereof. One limb of the crank arm 11 is pivotally mounted on the frame of the order, the free end of the other limb of the crank arm 11 is connected to one end of a second link 12, the other end of which is pivotally connected to quadrant rack 3. The quadrant rack 3 is freely connected to a downwardly extending limb 13 of a bell crank lever 14 arranged to pivot about a fixed axis 16 and having a rearwardly extending limb 17 which terminates in a tail-piece 18.

One end of `a power spring 19 is connected to an extension 48 of the downwardly extending lirnb 13 of the bell crank lever 14 and tends to move the bell crank lever 14 in a clockwise direction. When the mechanism is at rest, such clockwise movement is prevented by a downwardly extending lug 21 on the coupling bar 9, a projecting toe of which obstructs the path of a roller 20 mounted on the downwardly extending limb 13 of the bell crank lever 14.

The coupling bar 9, which couples the V-shaped lever 6 to the bell crank lever 5, is pivotally connected to the V-shaped lever 6 yand to the bell crank 5, and at one end is pivotally connected to a selector bar 22 by a pin and slot connection which permits longitudinal relative movement between the said coupling bar 9 and the selector bar 22. At a point along the length of the coupling bar 9 the selector bar 22 is pivotally connected to the coupling bar 9 through the medium ofV a link 23, having a downwardly extending lug 24. Arranged to extend between the Said downwardly extending lug 24 and a corresponding lug 25 formed on the coupling bar 9 is a spring 26.

The mechanism comprising the bell crank lever 5, the V-shaped lever 6, the coupling bar 9, the link 10 connecting the bell crank lever 5 to the crank arm 11 and the second link 12 connecting the crank arm 11 tov the quadrant rack 3, together with the selector bar 22, forms the means for actuating the quadrant rack 3 for subsequent registration and will be hereinafter referred to by the generic expression actuating mechanism.

The actuating mechanism of each ordinal bank of keys is differentially movable, in response to operation of the keys of that bank, from the full cycle position shown in Fig. l (in which it is normally held by a latch member 29 presently to be described) to a position controlled by engagement with the operated key for engagement with the accumulator mechanism and subsequent restoration to full cycle position.

The bell crank lever S and the V-shaped lever 6 are normally restrainedV from moving by a locking roller 2'7 carried upon the rearwardly extending arm of the V- shaped lever 6 and bearing upon a horizontal surface 2S formed on a pivoted latch member 29.

With the levers S and 6 so restrained, the tail-piece S on the bell crank lever 14 is arranged so as to be above and just clear of ashoulder 18a formed on a trip lever 30. This shoulder 18a is clearly seen in Fig. 8, although the tailpiece 18 is seen in that figure resting on a second shoulder 18b of the lever 30, onto which shoulder 18b the tailpiece comes when the tailpiece is unlatched from shoulder 18a by rotation of the trip lever under influence of'a stud 45a (Fig. l) as will be presently explained.

A series of keys 2 for gauging the digital actuation of the actuating mechanism are guided at each end of their stems 42 in flanges formed on the frame and are normally retained in a raised position. Each key 42 is provided with a projecting lug 31 so arranged that upon depression of a key, the associated lug moves in an inclined slot 32 formed in a key bar 33, so as to move the key bar 33 in a longitudinal direction, whilst at the same time portions 34 of the key bar 33 are moved into the paths of the lugs 31 on the non-depressed keys and so prevent the downward movement thereof. The key bar 33 is pivotally mounted at the rear end thereof at 37 to a rocking stirrup or crank 35 and at the forward end it is mounted so as to swing in a longitudinal direction upon a link 36a pivotally supported upon a pin 36 fixed relatively to the frame of the machine. A drag pawl 33 is pivotally mounted about the same axis 37 as that about which the rocking-stirrup 35 and the key bar S3 are pivotally connected to each other. Pawl 33 is provided at its rear end with a hook 39. So long as drag pawl 33 is maintained, by spring 50, in the angular position shown therefor in Fig. 1, this hook 39 extends downwardly across a horizontally extending tab 4051.(Fig. l0) at the lower end of a release member 40. Member 4t? is pivoted at 41 on the same horizontal axis as the latch member 29, and is spring biased counterclockwise by means of a spring 4Gb to a limit position defined by engagement against stop 41a.

As further shown in Fig. 10, the horizontal tab 40a at the lower end of release member 4t) extends across the thickness of pawl 38 and across the thickness of latch member 29 as well, so that when upon operation of a key pawl 38 is drawn toward the front of the machine by motion of key bar 33, the hook 39 rotates member 40 clockwise, which in turn rotates member Z9 clockwise, unlatching the lever 6 by disengaging roller 27 on lever 6 from shoulder 2S on member 2.9 (see Fig. 8).

During the clockwise movement of the V-shaped lever 6 under influence of a spring 19a thus initiated, both the coupling bar 9 and the selector bar 22 move together, but when the forward movement (i.e. leftward in Fig, l) 0f the selector bar 22 is arrested, at the position determined by the actuated key, by the stem 42 of a depressed key engaging with a corresponding abutment 15 on the selector bar 22, the coupling bar 9, together with bell crank lever 5 and the V-shaped lever 6 continue, by momentum, to move forwardly. At the commencement of the forward movement of the coupling bar 9 the downwardly extending lug 21 thereof disengages from the roller 2t) on the downwardly extending iimb of the bell crank lever 14, permitting the bell crank lever 14 to move slightly in a clockwise direction until the tail-piece 1S rests on the shoulder 18a of the trip lever 311, thus supporting the lever 14 until the completion of the forward selecting movement of coupling bar 9 and selector bar 22. A forwardly extending arm 43 of the trip lever 30 has its upper edge 45 of arcuate formation parallel with and adjacent to the path which would be followed by a stud 45a xed at the lower end of a downwardly extending arm 46 of the selector bar 22, if the selector bar 22 were able to move forwardly without being arrested by a depressed key. The lower end of the downwardly extending arm 46 of the selector bar 22 moves adjacent to the arcuate surface 4S of the laterally extending arm 43 of the trip-lever 3&9 as long as the selector bar 22 is moving, but when the selector bar 22 is arrested at an abutment 15' by the stem 42 of a depressed key, there being arrested with it the lower pivot of the link 23 which pivotally connects the selector bar 22 to the coupling bar 9, the coupling bar 9 moves forwardly and in so doing moves the selector bar 22 downwardly through the medium of the link 23 connecting it to the coupling bar 9, against the inuence of spring 26. This downward movement of the stud 45a on the downwardly extending arm 46 of the selector bar 22 depresses the forwardly extending arm 43 of the trip-lever 30 about its pivot 149 and in so doing unlatches the tail-piece 18, thus permitting the spring 19 connected to the lower arm 48 of the bell crank lever 14 to pull the selected tooth of the quadrant rack 3 into engagement with the numeral wheel pinion 4 of the numeral wheel 1.

Upon displacement of the trip lever 30 which enables the tail-piece 18 of the bell crank lever 14 to descend and move the rack 3 into mesh with the numeral wheel pinion 4 of the numeral wheel 1, the tail-piece 18 immediately pushes down a depending pawl 49 which is pivotally mounted on the drag pawl 38 at the end thereof remote from the hook 39 and yieldingly connected by means of the spring 5t) extending between it and the pivoted latch member 29. During the earlier forward movement of the key bar 33, the depending pawl 49 pivotally mounted on the drag pawl 38 was moved into the downward path of the tail-piece 18 of the bell crank lever 14 so that upon the clockwise movement of the bell crank lever 14 the depending pawl 49 is depressed and lifts the rear end of the drag pawl 38, allowing the release member 40 to release the latch member 29 and to move under the hook 39, thus holding the drag pawl 38 disengaged from the pivoted latch member 29 until such time as the depressed key which gauges the digital actuation of the actuating mechanism and the key bar 33 have returned to normal for a further operation. This state of afairs is illustrated in Fig. 8. In addition to the hook 39 hereinbefore referred to, a step 51 is also formed on the drag pawl 38 which co-operates with a lug 52 on the pivoted latch member 29 to prevent the key bar 33 and also the key 2 from returning whilst the roller 27 mounted on the V-:shaped lever 6 moves downwardly behind an arcuate surface 53 formed on the pivoted latch member 29. This ensures that a key 2 once depressed cannot rise until the selector bar 22 has reached it and this has been followed by the lifting of the drag pawl 38, as described above, which results in the step 51 clearing the lug 52 on the pivoted latch member 29.

The effect of the above sequence of operation is that the key bar 33 and, therefore, the key 2 are free to restore as soon as effective movement of the quadrant rack 3 towards the numeral wheel pinion 4 has commenced, at which stage in the cycle of operation, the key is no longer required, and is thus freed for return at the earliest possible moment in readiness for further operations. It will be observed that in view of the fact that the depending pawl 49 is pivoted to the drag pawl 38 it can, in addition to pulling down the forward end of the drag pawl 38, yield rearwardly if required against the influence of the spring 50 extending between the depending pawl 49 and the pivoted latch member 29. This condition can arise in fast repetition if a key 2 is redepressed before the registering cycle is complete, whereby the key bar 33 and the drag pawl 38 are again moved forwardly before the tailpiece 18 on the bell crank lever 14 has restored. In such circumstances the latch member 29 has again been moved forwardly out of the path of the roller 27 mounted on the V-shaped lever 6 and as soon as the tail-piece 18 of the bell crank lever 14 has moved past the depending pawl 49 and a connector, hereinafter referred to, has become disengaged, a further operating cycle will commence automatically.

Immediately following the depression of the depending pawl 49 pivoted on the drag pawl 38 and towards the completion of the engagement of the quadrant rack .3 with the numeral wheel pinion 4, the descending tailpiece 18 of the bell crank lever 14 also depresses a connector 54 which is pivotally mounted at 55 on the V- shaped lever 6 and is normally maintained by a spring .'56 clear of the teeth of a power-driven ratchet wheel 57.

During the selection movement of the V-shaped lever 6 hereinbefore described, the connector 54 travels in a substantially horizontal forward direction and immediately following the preceding operations, i.e. coincident with the full engagement of the quadrant rack 3 with the numeral wheel pinion 4, the connector 54 is depressed by the tail piece 18 into engagement with the rotating power-driven ratchet wheel 57, whereby the actuating mechanism is returned rearwardly to its normal position of rest with consequent registration of the numeral corresponding to the depressed key upon the accumulator mechanism which includes the numeral wheel 1.

It should be ensured that the designed relation of the members is such that during this return movement the connector 54 is moved downwardly to maintain engagement with the power-driven ratchet wheel 57, until a forwardly inclined surface 58 of the connector 54 is lifted by the next following tooth on the power-driven ratchet wheel 57 and it should be further ensured that at the moment the driving tooth of the power-driven ratchet wheel 57 disengages the connector, the tooth of the power-driven ratchet wheel 57 is substantially on a line joining the center of the power-driven ratchet Wheel S7 with the pivotal axis 55 of the connector 54. In these circumstances the velocity imparted to the actuating mechanism decelerates towards the end of the regis* tration stroke and approximates to zero at the moment the connector 54 is moved out of engagement with the power-driven ratchet wheel 57. Immediately upon release the connector 54 is drawn clear by the spring 56 thereof, and at the same time the shoulder 28 on the pivoted latch member 29 passes under the roller 27 mounted on the V-shaped lever 6 to effect its arrest and the arrest of the actuating mechanism. Towards the end of the cycle the depending lug 21 on the selector bar 22 again engages the roller 20 on the depending arm 4S of the bell crank lever 14 to withdraw the quadrant rack 3 from the wheel pinion 4 and permit the trip lever 30 to restore to normal.

The spring 19a land ratchet wheel 57 of each order provide a power operated driving means for that order. Spring 50 in each order biases the latch member 29 to normal effective position shown in Fig. 1 wherein the latch member normally disables the driving means from engagement with the actuating mechanism. Pawl 38 and its associated release member 40 provide means in each order, responsive to operation of a key of that order, to move the latch member 29 to ineffective position, permitting. advance of the actuating mechanism by the driving meansl into engagement with the accumulator.

The normal method of eiecting the multiplication in a machine of the type hereinbefore described is by repeated entry of the multiplicand, the operator holding a humber of fingers equal to the number of digits in the multiplicand over the keys corrresponding to the values of such digits and repeatedly striking such keys simultaneously, firstly for a number of times equal to the value of the units digit of the multiplier, then similarly for a number of times equal to the value of the tens digit of the multiplier, moving her hand or hands across the keyboard, to shift the finger setting one column to the left for each successively higher order of the multiplie This method of multiplication requires extreme skill as it demands rapid action accompanied by eXtreme accuracy. Further, owing to the number of operations of the keys which the operator has to perform, her speed and concentration does, of necessity, deteriorate towards the end of the day.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a power driven calculating machine of the type having a plurality of ordersof keys in which the keyboard is of standard design and can, in the normal way, be employed for carrying into effect any of the four processes of arithmetic, but which in addition provides simple and eiiicient means of eecting multiplication at a speed equal at least to that at which such processes can be carried into eifect at present and with a reduction in the number of manual operations necessary.

It will be appreciated from the description of the power driven calculating machine, hereinbefore set forth, that if a key in an' order of the machine is depressed and the pivoted latch member 29 of that order is restrained from moving back into its normal locking position where it holds the roller 27 of the V-shaped lever 6 against downward movement, the actuating mechanism of that order will continue to register the number of the depressed key as long'as the pivoted latchV member V29 is held in its inoperative position; Thus, assuming that the number of the depressed key is 9 and the pivoted latch member 29 is held in its inoperative position whilst the actuating mechanism makes seven repeated actuations,

there will appear upon the units and the tens order of the accumulator mechanism respectively, the numbers 3 and 6.

Any such repeated actuation of the actuating mechanism, it will be observed, will continuev at a speed dependent upon the power driven ratchet wheel 57 until' the pivoted latch member 29 is released and permitted again to intercept the roller 27 immediately after its return to its normal position. Itis thus seen that the introduction of an intercepting pawl to hold the pivoted latch member 29 out of a locking position following its first withdrawal can be employed to provide repeated actuation of the actuating mechanism if a counting device is associated with the intercepting pawl to allow the latch member 29 to return to its locking position after the required number of repeated actuations of the actuating mechanism. Further, it is to be understood that a machine in which a motor driven ratchet wheel is employed to advance the actuating mechanism and in which a spring is employed to return the actuating mechanism to its normal position could likewise employ a counting device to ensure the repeated actuation of the actuating mechanism without in any way departing from the scope of the present invention.

It will be appreciated from the above that one object of the present invention is to ensure that in a power driven calculating machine having a plurality of orders of keys, the means which normally Veither obviates the repeated actuation of the actuating mechanism of each actuated order of keys at the conclusion of each cycle of operation of the actuating mechanism or permits the repeated actuation of the actuating mechanism at the conclusion of each cycle of operation of the actuating mechanism are arranged to be held either inoperative or operative after the keys representing the multiplicand have been depressed to enable the actuating mechanisms of such orders to complete a series of actuations which correspond to the digits of the multiplier by which the multiplicand is being multiplied, and although one embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described as applied to the particular type of power driven calculating machine liereinbefore set forth, nevertheless, it is to be understood that the invention is applicable to other types of power driven calculating machines having a plurality of orders of keys in which the mechanism of each order of keys is arranged to be arrested after the actuating mechanism has completed one cycle which corresponds to the digit of the key depressed, or one in which actuating mechanism continues to register the digit of the depressed key as long as the driving mechanism is maintained in operation as in the case of a key set machine.

@ne embodiment of the present invention applied to the key-responsive power driven calculating machine having a plurality of orders of keys as hereinbefore described and comprising a base plate 59 is provided with two U-shaped support members 6! and 61 the upturned ends of which are recessed to located and support tubular spacing members 62 and 63 employed for bolting the main frame plates 4 of the machine together. The main frame plates 64 are extended forwardly to carry a pivot rod 68. A subsidiary frame consisting of plates 65, bolted together by spacing members 66 and 67 and hereinafter referred to as the multiplier carriage, is mounted on the pivot rod 68 in such a manner as to permit of a small rocking movement of the multiplier carriage towards and away from the rear of the machine.

The multiplier carriage is divided into sections each section being associated with one order of keys for a purpose hereinafter set forth. In each section a freely mounted secondary numeral wheel 69 similar to the numeral wheel 1 of the main machine is mounted upon pivot rod 76 and has attached thereto two secondary numeral gear wheels 71 and 72, each having ten teeth. Engaging with secondary numeral gear wheel 71 is an idler gear 73 mounted upon a stud 74 carried by a three armed lever 75 for a purpose hereinafter described. Mounted upon a rod 76 is a secondary quadrant rack 77 arranged to mesh with the secondary numeral gear wheel 72. A selector rack rod l80, extending horizontally towards the rear of the machine, is pivotally connected at 79 to a depending arm 7 S of the secondary quadrant rack 77. Also mounted on the pivot rod 68 and forming part of the multiplier carriage mechanism is detent pawl 81, normally retaining the gear 71 in correct angular position and holding it locked against clockwise rotation. In the position illustrated in Figure 1 an arm 82 projecting rearwardly from the pawl 81 bears against a rod 83 which also serves to hold in tension a spring `84 attached to the pawl S1. It will be observed that the gear 73 is normally disposed so that the teeth thereof are just clear of the teeth 85 of one of the transfer gears which are in constant mesh with the numeral wheel 1 of the accumulator mechanism of the machine. if the carriage 65 is rocked about the pivot rod 68 towards the rear of the machine the gears 73 and 85 of the various orders of the machine will engage with one another and ensure that when the keys 2 of the various orders of machine are actuated, both the numeral wheels 1 and 69 will be displaced by an equal angular clockwise displacement, provided the pawl 81 has been moved out of engagement with the gear 71. This disengagement of the pawl S1 and the gear 71 is effected when the carriage 65 is rocked rearwardly by reason of the rod 83' preventing the pawl 81 from following the carriage 65 during such rearward movement. It is to be observed that the three armed lever 75 which carries the idler gear 73 is caused to bear against a stop `87 by a safety spring 86. The safety spring 86 permits the lever 75 to swing in an anti-clockwise direction about the pivot rod 70 under conditions in which the gear 73 is unable to follow the rotation of gear 85.

The carriage 65 is moved rearwardly into operative engagement with the gear 85 of the actuating mechanism of the machine by a setting lever 88 preferably arranged to project from the lower front face of the machine about the mid-width thereof. The setting lever 88 is movable by hand to either the left or right hand side of the machine and is pivoted to the base of the support 60 upon the shank of a screw 89. A roller 90 mounted on the lever 88 is arranged to traverse a contoured slot 91 having the shape of an inverted V formed in a plate 92 attached to the carriage 65, and during displacement of the lever 88 to either the right or the left of its normal central position the carriage 65 is moved about the pivot 68 to cause the gears 73 and 85 to engage with one another. The plate 92 with its slot 91 and the roller 90 are seen in front elevation in Fig. 9. The lever 88 is arranged to eifect other operations which will be hereinafter specified.

When the carriage 65 has been moved into operative engagement with the actuating mechanism of the machine and a digital actuation of a key 2 has resulted in equal angular displacements of the numeral wheels 1 and 69, the gear 72 will be rotated in a clockwise direction and in consequence the secondary quadrant rack 77 will displace a selector rack rod 80 pivotally connected thereto rearwardly to a position corresponding to the value of the key actuated. The multiplier digit will be shown upon both the main numeral wheel 1 and the secondary numeral wheel 69. After the insertion of the multiplier the operator will return the lever 88 to its central position, thereby restoring the carriage 65 to the position indicated in Figure l of the drawings. When the lever 88 is moved to its central position the pawl 81 will take control of the pinion 71 and hold the selector rack rod 80 in the selected position. In View of the fact that the digits of the multiplier displayed on the main numeral wheel 1 have been transferred to the multiplier storage wheels 69 and since the accumulator wheels 1 must be cleared to receive the product, means are provided whereby when the carriage 65 is in operative engagement with the actuating mechanism of the machine (to the right in Fig. l) a pawl 93 at each end of the frame rod 67 hooks over a zeroizing Stirrup 94 and during the withdrawal of the carriage 65 (to the left in Fig. 1) draws the stirrup 94 forwardly to lift all the detent pawls 95, thereby permitting any main numeral wheels 1 which have been displaced to return to zero under the influence of the tension stored in the transfer springs 96. As the carriage 65 completes its withdrawal movement the pawls 93 are raised by the stop pins 97 in main frame plates 64 to release the pawls 95 from the cancel stirrup 94.

The foregoing operation results in a multiplier digit being displayed on the numeral wheel 69, the selector rack rod 80 being set in a position corresponding to the selected position of the numeral wheel 69, and the main numeral wheel 1 set in a position where it registers O. It is to be understood that where a multiplier consists of several digits the numeral wheels 69 in various orders of the plurality of orders will be similarly set to display the complete multiplier and that the selector rack rods 80 in the other actuated orders will be set to selected rearward positions corresponding to the digits of the multiplier which they represent.

Mounted below the main mechanism of the machine illustrated in Figure l is a counting mechanism assembly comprising a frame 44 having three vertical walls, of which the forward wall 98 (Figures l to 8) extends transversely across the full width ot' the machine and the other two walls are disposed in a longitudinal direction and are attached to supporting plates (not shown) mounted at each side of the machine. The wall 98 is provided with a series of guide slots 99 arranged to receive the rearward end of each selector rack rod to locate it nominally in lateral position, but the width of the slot 99 is greater than the thickness of the selector rack 'rod 80 so to permit sideways displacement of the same. The selector rack rods 80 are normally disposed in a mean or central position in the slots 99 by springs 100 bearing against a stop stud 101 (Figures l and 2). The rear portion of selector rack rod 80 is thickened for example by the addition of two side cheeks 102 which extend rearwardly from a line 103 (Figure l) and which leave between them behind the rear end of rod 80 proper a gap 104 (Figure 3) rearwardly of the wall 98 in which is freely located a pawl 105, so mounted as to be depressed when required, about a pivot stud 106, but normally held against a stop stud 107 by a spring 108. A vertical step 109 on the cheeks 102 of each selector rack rod S0 provides an abutment directed towards the forward end of the machine and a step 110 on the pawl 105 provides a similar abutment directed rearwardly, providing a vertical slot 111 into which can extend projecting pins 112 mounted on a counting plate 113 arranged to extend across the frame 44 and arranged to swing about a pivot rod 114. The pins 112 are mounted at the lower extremity of the counting plate 113 at the same radius from the pivot rod 114 as the periphery of the teeth 115 of the secondary quadrant rack 77 is from the pivot rod 76, thereby enabling the counting plate 113 to be swung through equivalent distances and be maintained in the same angular positions as the secondary quadrant rack 77. It will be observed that any horizontal movement imparted to the selector rack rod 80 produces equal movements to the secondary quadrant rack 77 and the counting plate 113. It will be appreciated that the pins 112 of the counting plate 113 are formed in pairs, each pair being directed towards its associated selector rack rod 80 (Figures 3, 4 and 5) with a gap formed between them which is slightly in excess of the width of the associated selector rack rod 80 plus cheeks, and positioned so that with the selector rack rod S0 centrally located between the springs 100 the counting plate 113 will swing rearwardly without engaging the corresponding selector rack rod 80. If, however, the selector rack rod 80, after having been moved to a selected rearward position, is displaced laterally towards one side of the corresponding slot 99 in the frame 98, it will intercept via a pin 112 any swinging movement of the corresponding counting plate 113 counterclockwise beyond that position. Prior to the plate 113 being arrested the pawl 105 will be depressed by the pin 112 which will become lodged in the slot 111 and in consequence the plate 113 becomes locked to the selector rack rod 80 in both directions.

The means by which the side displacement of the selector rack rod 80 is timed and effected comprises a sequence bar 116 (Figures l, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7) arranged to extend across the counting frame 44 and mounted for a limited sliding movement on a fixed guide rod 117 beneath the selector rack rod 80. Stop lugs 118 are arranged to project upwardly from the sequence bar 116 into the path of the selector rack rods 80 and it will be observed from Figure l that whilst the selector rack rods 80 are disposed in their extreme forward or zero position a notch 119 formed on the lower face of each selector rack rod 80 permits the sideways movement of any of the stop lugs 118 without inter engagement between the said stop lugs 118 and the selector rack rods 80. 1f the selector rack rods 80 had, however, been moved previously in a rearward direction the stop lugs 118 would with lateral motion of the sequence bar 116 engage with the moved selector rack rod and effect a sideways movement of the same. The sequence bar 116 is held in its extreme right or left position when the setting lever 88 is held in a similar position and while so held the selector rack rods 80 can take up the selected digital positions of the multiplier without obstruction. When the setting lever 88 is returned to its normal central position the sequence bar 116 becomes operative under spring tension to effect the Sideways displacement of the rst displaced seiector rack rod Si) and subsequently, in `ordered sequence from left to right or from right to left, any other rack rods which have been longitudinally displaced.

Referring to Figures l, 6 and 7 it is seen that the setting lever 88 pivoted at S9 is formed at its rearward end with a gear segment 12d meshing with a gear segment 121 formed on a lever 122 pivoted at 123 to the bottom of the counting frame assembly 44. The rear of the lever 122 is formed with two horns 124 and 125 arranged to move the sequence bar 116 to the right or to the left by engaging a stud 126 arranged on the underside of the sequence bar 116. For example in Figure 6 the setting lever 3S and sequence bar 116 are illustrated as being moved to the left until the sequence bar 116 stops against the end wall of the frame assembly 44 and with the left-most of the lugs 118 just clear of the path of the selector rack rod 80 of highest order. In this position a spring tensioning lever 127 arranged below the setting lever 8S and movable about the same pivot 89 has been carried to the right (by the inter-engagement between a stud 128 on the setting lever 88 and a slot 129 in the spring tensioning lever 127) to tension a spring 131) of two springs 136 and 131 tending to pull the sequence bar 116 to the right. This condition is maintained so long as one or more of the selector rack rods Sd remain moved rearwardly. Assuming that the extreme left hand selector rack rod 80 is one of the selector rack rods that have been moved during the operation of the multiplier carriage and assuming that the setting of the selector rack rods 8b is completed and the setting lever 8d is thereafter returned to its central position, the extreme left hand selector rack rod 80 will be displaced to the right by the sequence bar 116, as far as its guide slots will permit, and the spring tensioning lever 127 is held against return, except for a smali recoil, by one of the pawls 38a and 88h (Figure 7).

it will be appreciated that the setting lever mechanism is symmetrical and in consequence the sequence bar 116 can be set to the right hand side and thereby effect first if desired the side displacement of the eXtreme right hand selector rack rods Si). Further, the lateral spacing ofthe lugs 118 on the sequence bar 116 is less than the spacing of theV selectorV rack rods 811 and thus can effect side displacement of only one selector rack rod 80 at a time.

Referring to Figure l a short lever 132 provided with a stud 133 is attached to the counting plate 113 so as to pivot about the pivot rod.114.. With the lever 132 is associated a slotted link 134 connected by the pivot rod 67 to the end of the multiplier carriage 65 so that during engagement of the multiplier carriage with the actuating mechanism the counting plate 113 is held forwardly as illustrated. When, however, the multiplier carriage 65 is withdrawn, which occurs after the sequence bar 116 has displaced laterally the first selector rack rod 80, the counting plate 113 is free to swing under spring iniluence (not shown) clear. of all those selector rack rods Si@ which are centrally located by their springs i? and can be arrested only by the first selector bar 80 after having depressed the pawl 105 thereof. Also freely mounted. on the pivot rod v114 are a series of counting sectors 135 (one for each actuating mechanism associated with an order of keys of the machine), located in slots formed along the top edge of the counting plate 113 and each sector 135 having an independent spring 135 connecting it to and normally holding it against the counting plate 113, whereby when the counting plate 113 swings rearwardly as hereinbefore described all the counting sectors 135 are carried with it through the same angular distance. The periphery of the counting sectors are provided with ratchet teeth 137 of a pitch corresponding to each digital change of the numeral wheel 69. After all the counting sectors have moved collectively to the selected position representing the first digit of the multiplier, this selected position is thereafter employed to eifect an equivalent number of repeated actuations of the actuating mechanism of the main machine in the following manner:

Mounted on a pivot rod 138 vin the frame 44 of the counting assembly is a stirrup or crank 139 which eX- tends across the frame 44 and is adapted to swing through a small angle limited by a hole 140 formed in the stirrup 139 and a stop 1141 in the side wall of frame 44. The rear edge of the stirrup 139I is provided with a series of slots 142, two for eachorder of keys of the machine, and a pivot rod 143 is arranged to extend across all the slots 142. Referring particularly to -a single order of keys there is mounted on the pivot 143 and located in one of the two slots a detent pawl 144 normally pressed upwardly `by a spring (not shown) against the lower front edge 145 of the, stirrup, 139. The leading end of the pawl 144 is normally clear of the periphery of the sector 135, as illustrated in Figure l, so as to enable the sector 135 to swing anti-clockwise about its pivot 114 during a multiplier digit selection movement. Mounted in the second slot Vand also on the pivot rod 143 is a second pawl 146, hereinafter referred to as a counting control pawl. The counting control pawl 146 which lies adjacent to the detent pawl 144 is normally in the position illustrated in Figure l with the leading end thereof abutting against a stud i147 projecting from the counting sector 135 and the rearward end supporting the leading end of a long lever l14S pivoted on the machine frame at149 and terminating in a slot 150. While the counting plate 113, and with it the counting sectors 135 are resiliently urged counterclockwise, meansare provided, presently to be described, which maintain the plate 113 in its formed position shown in Fig. l except when the sequence bar 116 is arrested at one of its lugs 118 on a rearwardly positioned rod 80... The slot 150 embraces a stud 151 on an intercepting pawl 152 pivoted at 153 which when permitted rises under the influence of a spring 154 to intercept the pivoted latch member 29. of the actuating mechanism of the machine.

At one end of the pivot rod 143, for example atone side of the machine, a link 155V (Figuresl and 8) is connected for the purpose of setting the detentvstirrup 139 and pawls 144-into engagement with the countingV sec.-

tors 135. The link 155 projects upwardly and rearwardly and its upper end is formed with a step 155 which enables the link 155 to be pushed downwardly as required by a pin 157 on one end of a switch stirrup 158 extending across the machine. The stirrup or crank 153 starts and stops the motor at each depression and release of any of the digit keys by operation of the key bar 33 in the order or orders of the keys depressed. The U-shaped crank or stirrup member y158 is engaged by each of the key bars at a notch 47 therein, motion to the left (in Fig. l) Vof such akey bar causing the member 158 to be rotated counterclockwise so long as any key is depressed. Y Y

If a multiplier is set up in the multiplier carriage and the successive stages so far. described for automatic multiplication have been carried into effect the depression ofthe keys representing the multiplicand must ensure that the engagement of the detent pawls 144 with the counting sectors 135 shall proceed or be coincident with the depression of the keys 2 of the multiplicand, and it is thus convenient toassociate the movementV of the switch stirrup 158 with the .movement of the detent stirrup 139 by means of the link 155. In Figure l the step 156 onthe link I155 is indicated as normally engaging with the pin 157, by virtue of the inucnce of the spring 173 (which also holds the detent stirrup '139 normally withdrawn), but such engagement is only essential during semi-automatic operation so that whilst the machine is employed as a simple key-responsive machine it is desirable that the detent stirrup 139 should not follow every movement of the keys. This is achieved by providing a right angled lever 159, pivoted on a stud 160 the horizontal arm 161 of which is raised during the final cancelling of a calculation by a lever 162 operatively connected to the cancel handle (not shown). A downwardly extending arm 163 of the right angled lever 159, from which projects near the lower end thereof a stud 164 is arranged to engage during its forward movement with a notch 165 formed in the link 155 to lift the link 155 clear of the pin 157, the arrangement being such that the horizontal portion of the notch 165 retains the stud 164 and link 155 in this disengaged position until further use of the machine in its automatic form is required.

The use of the machine for automatic repetition must be preceded by the operation of the setting lever 88 with the consequent operation of the multiplier carriage 65. The movement of the multiplier carriage 65 to the rear is employed via link 166 to restore lever 161 and stud 164 to the position illustrated in Figure 1.

The automatic repetition of the actuation of the actuating mechanism is effected by a sector feed pawl 167 pivoted on the pivot 168 carried upon the lower arm 48 of the bell crank lever 14 of the main actuating mechanism. The sector feed pawl 167 is formed with a lug 169 which is arranged to bear against the forwardly directed face of the lower arm 48 of the bell crank lever 14 by means of a spring 170. ln Figure 1 the bell crank lever 14 and feed pawl 167 are shown in their normal or retracted position, in which the tip of the sector feed pawl 167 is arranged just clear of the arcuate path of the ratchet teeth 137 on the counting sector 135. It will be appreciated that if the machine has not been set for automatic repetition the sector feed pawl 167 will be inoperative during actuation of the actuating mechanism as the free end thereof will follow an arcuate path in a forward direction about the pivot 16 above sector 135 and thus fail to make contact with the teeth 137 of the counting sector 135. It will also be appreciated that whereas the counting sectors 135 and the detent pawls 144 are moved collectively in all columns of the machine, the sector feed pawls 167 are quite independent and move only in response to the particular column or columns, in which keys have been depressed. If, however, the selective preparation for automatic repetition has been eiiected as hereinbefore described the counting sectors 135 in all orders will have moved to a predetermined tooth position and the sequence of events resulting from the depression of a key in any column will be as follows:

The release of an actuating mechanism will commence with a movement in a forward direction of the pivoted latch member 29, the lower tip of which will deflect and pass the end of the pawl 152 which will then obstruct the return of the pivoted latch member 29 until the pawl 152 has been moved out of the path thereof. Coincident with the depression of a key 2 and the release of the corresponding actuating mechanism is the engagement of the detent pawls 144 in all orders with the counting sectors 135 by means of the link 155, and it is to be understood that the key is held depressed and, therefore, the detent pawls 144 remain engaged until the selected number of repetitions has been completed. As the quadrant rack 3 of the actuating mechanism moves forwardly to engage the numeral wheel pinion 4 of the numeral wheel 1, the sector feed pawl or pawls 167 of the order or orders of the depressed key or keys of the multiplicand are also moved forwardly into engagement with the corresponding sector 135, but after the tip of the sector feed pawl 167 becomes arrested the pivot 168 continues to move, creating a downward thrust on the sector feed pawl 167 which is proportionate to the distance necessary to move the counting sector 135 through one tooth. This is apparent from Figure 8 from which it is also seen that having carried the counting sector 135 downwardly, the sector feed pawl 167 is restrained by the edge of the detent stirrup 139 from becoming disengaged from the counting sector 135. This controls any tendency of the counting sector 135 to overthrow more than l tooth, and yet allows the sector feed pawl 167 to retreat in the direction from which it entered, and is thus withdrawn as the actuating mechanism returns to its normal position. During this movement of the counting sector 135 the detent pawl 144 has yielded on the now stationary pivot 143 and dropped into the next tooth of the counting sector 135, thus taking charge of intermittent and repeated feeding movements by the sector feed pawl 167, which will continue until the commencement of the last of the selected number of cycles. At this point the stud 147 on the counting sector 135 will have reached the toe of the lever 146 and during the next and last thrust of the feed pawl 167 the lever 146 will be moved about the pivot rod 143 which will result in the long lever 14S being swung about its pivot 149 and cause the intercepting pawl 152 to be moved into the position illustrated in Figure 1, whereupon the pivoted latch member 29 will be released and hold the actuating mechanism against further movement.

When a key in each of two or more denominational orders has been depressed, the feed pawl 167 and counting sector 135 in each order will respond to the movement of its associated actuating mechanism quite independently of the movements of any other actuating mechanism, and the correct number of repeated movements will occur in each case without necessarily being simultaneous in their operation.

In each order the sector feed pawl 167 on bell crank lever 14 together with the detent pawl 144 mounted on crank 139 for rotation about axis 138 under iniiuence of the single link 155 provide means coupled between the counting sector 135 of that order and the actuating mechanism of that order to restore the counting sector to Zero `in digital increments with each cycle of operation of the actuating mechanism. These coupling means are effective only when crank 138 is in the position shown in Figure 8. Crank 138 is set from the position shown in Figure l to that shown in Figure 8 upon the operation of any key if, but only if, link 155 has first been shifted by spring 173 to a position of engagement with pin 157 on crank 155 as a result of counterclockwise rotation of lever 159 by the link 166 upon engagement of the multiplier carriage with the accumulator.

The effect of feeding the counting sectors 135 back to Zero from their pre-selected position will lnow be described. The sideways displacement of the first selector bar caused it to receive and hold the counting plate 113 and the counting sectors 135 in the angular position represented by the digit displayed on numeral wheel 69 of the order of that first rod 80. The counting plate 113 Will be carried with the counting sector whilst the counting sectors 135 are being returned step by step by the feed pawls 167, and in consequence the projecting pins 112 of plate 113 will push forwardly only that first selector rack rod 80 through the medium of the pawl 105. Likewise the secondary quadrant rack 77 and the numeral wheel 69 in that first order will be returned step by step to zero, because the multiplier carriage 65 in its retracted position permits the tanti-clockwise rotation of that secondary numeral wheel 69 and the gear 71 under the control of detent pawl 81. Thus the multiplier digit, which is in process of creating the product in the main accumulator of the machine, is reduced by unity steps during the automatic actuation of the actuating mechanism and indicates to the operator during the calculation which columns of the multiplier have been or remain to be entered.

The intercepting pawls 152 provide means which are coupled by the lever 15S, counting control pawl 146 and stud 147 to the counting sector 135 and therethrough to the multiplier storage means for latching the latch member 29 in ineffective position (as illustrated in Fig. 8) in `all orders wherein multiplicand keys are depressed until the counting sectors have been returned to a position representative of zero.

As the first stage of the calculation is completed the intercepting pawls 152, in the operative orders are removed from path of the pivoted latch members 29. This occurs during the cycle of the machine which reduces this multiplier digit from unity to zero value. Upon completion of that machine cycle the latch members, in the orders of the machine in which multiplicand keys are depressed, will swing counterclockwise to the position shown in Fig. l and will engage the rollers 27 in those orders. This `brings the actuating mechanisms in all orders to a stop, with the keys of the multiplicand still held down, but as soon as the first selector rack rod 80 reaches its zero position the lug 11S of the sequence bar 116 ceases to contact the selector rack rod 36 owing to the step 119 formed therein with the result that (a) the sideways pressure on that selector rack rod S9 is removed, permiting the springs 10ft to restore that selector rack rod 8() to a central position and (b) the sequence bar 116 is freed so that it can move under the influence of the spring 131i, into engagement with the selector rack rod Si) of the next column in which a multiplier digit has been set up so as to displace the same laterally. It will be appreciated that if one or more cyphers form the numerals of the multiplier, the sector rack rods Sti, in those columns in which the cyphers occur, will not be displaced from their zero position in inserting the multiplier into the machine and the sequence bar 116 in the case of such selector rack rods 811 will continue to move unobstructed across the orders of the machine until a displaced selector rack rod 80 is met.

The second selection has, therefore, automatically been prepared by the completion of the rst, before the release of the keys 2. The fingers of the operator are now removed and transferred to the next operating position with the result that the detent pawls 144 holding the counting sectors 135 at zero in those denominational orders previously operated will no longer do so and the counting sectors 135 in those denominational orders which were not operated will also be freed, leaving the complete assembly of the counting plate 113 and counting sectors 135 free to swing rearwardly until arrested by the laterally displaced second selector rack'rod 80. This new selection takes effect very rapidly whilst the operators fingers are lifted from one order of keys to the next, and the re-depression which follows sets the machine in action for the number of repeated cycles determined bythe second digit of the multiplier.

Having completed all the stages of the multiplication and obtained the product in the main accumulator mechanism, this will be cleared in advance of any new calculation. The clearance is effected by means of the normal cancel handle and at that moment it may not be known whether the next calculation on which the machine will be employed will be such that the semi-automatic multiplying feature will be required or not. It is, therefore, provided that the final clearance of an answer from the accumulator mechanism isolates the repeating mechanism by raising the link 155. It is also necessary, after the last digit of a multi-digital multiplier has been ernployed as described, and no more displaced selector rack rods 80 are available to intercept the counting plate 113, that the latter should remain in its forward position to thereby leave the feed pawls 167 inactive during the next calculation, unless a new multiplier is introduced into the machine. To satisfy this requirement that when the lugs 118 of the sequence bar 116 meet no further obstruction to their lateral displacement, which continues until the sequence bar 116 comes to -rest against one or other end of the frame 44, a tooth 171 formed on each end of the sequence bar 116 prevents the counting plate 113 from swinging rearwardly by intercepting a leg 172 `attachedto each end of the counting plate 113 for this purpose, such interception being absent at all operative positions of the sequence bar 116.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the multiplier carriage provides multiplier control means selectively engageable with the accumulator mechanism (by lever 8S) and operable by the actuating mechanisms of the various orders, via the accumulator mechanism, to store a multidigit multiplier upon the operation of keys representative of that multiplier. Further, the selector rack rods Si) and sequence bar 116 provide means for selecting an order of that storage means, and this apparatus together with the counting plate 113 provide means for connecting a selected order of the storage means to the counting sectors and for setting the counting sectors in all orders to a position representative of the value of the multiplier digit stored in the selector order. Further, the apparatus of Figure 8 provides means responsive to a subsequent depression of keys representative of a multiplicand to effect repeated operation of the actuator mechanisms in the orders of the multiplicand keys under ultimate control of the multiplier carriage. After all of the counting sectors have thus been restored to Zero, an order of the storage means adjacent to that previously selected and having stored therein a multiplier digit of other than zero value is automatically selected and the counting sectors in all orders are automatically set to the value of that digit.

The earlier reference in the above description to the independent operation of each feed pawl 167 and each counting sector 135 during multi-order operation of the machine should be emphasized as being of great practical advantage to the operator because, during multiplication, it is not uncommon to have five or more digits in the multiplicand and it is very difficult to ensure absolute simultaneity of depression of the keys in the various orders of the machine. Y

With the counting mechanism which has been described above, it will be readily appreciated that (presuming the next effective digit of a multiplier to be 7) the next effective digit of the multiplier will cause all the counting sectors 135 in the various orders of the machine to swing rearwardly to a total of seven teeth when those keys which represent the multiplicand and which were previously depressed are raised. Consequently, the operation following re-depression of the keys representing the multiplicand will result in seven repeated actuations either if the said keys are depressed simultaneously or depressed substantially simultaneously or depressed separately in any sequence whatsoever. Further, depression of one or a plurality of keys will result in the rear face of the notch 47 moving the switch stirrup 158 in a counterclockwise direction. It will therefore be appreciated that when a plurality of keys have been depressed initially, it is only necessary thereafter to keep one key depressed in order to maintain the said switch stirrup 153 in its operative position (i.e. rocked towards the front of the machine).

1t will be appreciated that this feature is of the greatest importance because, although it is usual and natural to depress a combination of keys substantially simultaneously, if the combination is difficult to pick up with the fingers, the machine does provide for the sequential or irregular depression of the keys of the combination without this having any effect whatsoever on the accuracy of the product registered.

Referring to Figures 6 and 7 it will be observed that the sequence bar 116 always remains spring-urged towards one or the other side of the machine, by reason of the fact that although the setting lever 83 is centralised after the insertion of the multiplier the spring tensioning lever 127 is not7 and it will keep one or other of the springs 13d, 131 loaded until such time as the sequence bar 116 may be required to control multiplication from say right to left instead of left to right. It is,

17 however, to be understood that if the conventional operating practice in any country or industry in which the machine is employed is always in the same direction the setting lever 88 could be arranged for movement in one direction only.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A power-operated key-responsive calculating machine having accumulator mechanism, actuating mechanism therefor, keys for guaging the digital actuation of said actuating mechanism, resilient means tending to drive said actuating mechanism in one direction, releasable means normally holding said actuating mechanism against motion under the influence of said resilient means, power mechanism, a normally disengaged connector engageable between said power mechanism and said actuating mechanism, said connector driving said actuating mechanism in the opposite direction when so engaged, said connector being engageable with said actuating mechanism in response to operation of said resilient means, means actuated by any one of said keys to release said holding means, and means acting to maintain said holding means released to cause said connector repeatedly to engage said power mechanism and thereby cause repeated actuation of said actuating mechanism.

2. A power-operated key-responsive calculating machine having accumulator mechanism, actuating mechanism therefor, keys for guaging the digital actuation of said actuating mechanism, resilient means tending to drive said actuating mechanism in one direction, releasable means normally holding said actuating mechanism against motionunder the inuence of said resilient means, power mechanism, a normally disengaged connector engageable between said power mechanism and said actuating mechanism, said connector driving said actuating mechanism in the opposite direction when so engaged, said connector being engageable with said actuating mechanism in response to operation of said resilient means, means actuated by any one of said keys to release said holding means, multi-position counting means positioned by operation of any one of said keys and repositioned by a unity value upon each subsequent actuation of said actuating mechanism, and means enabled by said counting means to maintain said holding means in released position for all positions of said counting means other than that of zero value.

3. A multi-bank power-driven key responsive calculating machine comprising a plurality of ordinal banks or" keys, an accumulator mechanism including transfer means between adjacent orders of said accumulator mechanism, ordinal differential actuator mechanisms responsive to said keys to operate said accumulator mechanism, multiplier control means selectively engageable with said accumulator mechanism and operable by said actuator mechanisms to store a multi-digit multiplier upon depression of said keys representative of the multiplier, and means responsive to a second depression of said keys representative of a multiplicand to initiate repeated operation of said actuator mechanisms under control of said multiplier control means.

4. A multi-bank power-driven key responsive calculating machine comprising a plurality of ordinal banks of keys, a multi-order accumulator mechanism including transfer means between adjacent orders or" said accumulator mechanism, ordinal diiferential actuator mechanisms, one for each of said banks of keys, each of said ordinal actuator mechanisms being responsive to the operation of keys in the corresponding ordinal bank to operate the corresponding order of said accumulator mechanism, multiplier control means selectively engageable with said accumulator mechanism and operable by said actuator mechanisms to store a multi-digit multiplier upon operation of keys in said ordinal banks of keys representative of said multiplier, and means responsive to a subsequent operation of keys in said ordinal banks of j18 keys representative of a multiplicand to initiate repeated operation of the corresponding orders of said actuator mechanisms under control of said multiplier control means.

5. A multi-bank power-driven key responsive calculating machine comprising a plurality of ordinal banks of keys, ordinal differential actuator mechanisms, one for each of said banks of keys, a multi-order accumulator mechanism including transfer means between adjacent orders of said accumulator mechanism, each of said ordinal actuator mechanisms being responsive to the operation of the keys in the corresponding ordinal bank of keys to operate the corresponding order of said accumulator mechanism, a plural-digit multiplier storage means releasably engageable with said accumulator mechanism and operable by said actuator mechanisms when so engaged to store a multi-digit multiplier upon the operation of keys in a plurality of said banks of keys representative of said multiplier, and means coupled to said storage means operable upon disengagement of said storage means from said accumulator mechanism and in response to operation of keys in said banks of keys representative of the digits of a multiplicand to control repeated operation of said actuator mechanisms, in the orders corresponding to said operated keys representative of the multiplicand, a number of times equal to the value of a digit of said multiplier.

6. A multi-bank power-driven key responsive calculating machine comprising a plurality of ordinal banks of keys, ordinal differential actuator mechanisms, one for each of said banks of keys, a multi-order accumulator mechanism including transfer mechanism between adjacent orders of said accumulator mechanism, each of said ordinal actuator mechanisms being responsive to the operation of the keys in the corresponding bank of keys'to operate the corresponding order of said accumulator mechanism, a multi-order multiplier storage means releasably engageable with corresponding orders of said accumulator mechanism, said storage means being operable by said actuator mechanisms when so engaged to store a multi-digit multiplier upon the operation of the keys in a plurality of said banks of keys representative of said multiplier, and means coupled to said storage means operable upon disengagement of said storage means from said accumulator mechanism and in response to each operation of the keys in said banks of keys representative of the digits of a multiplicand to control repeated operation of said actuator mechanisms, in the orders corresponding to said operated keys representative of the multiplicand, a number of times equal to the value of one digit of said multiplier.

7. A multi-bank power-operated key responsive calculating machine comprising a plurality of ordinal banks of keys, a multi-order accumulator, ordinal actuator mechanisms each controlled by the keys of a corresponding one of said ordinal banks to operate a corresponding order of said accumulator, ordinal normally disabled poweroperated driving means each operable, in cyclic sequence, to advance said actuator mechanism of corresponding order differentially from a normal full cycle position to a position controlled by engagement with an operated one of said keys, to engage said advanced actuator mechanism with said accumulator, and to restore said actuator mechanism to full cycle position and disengage said actuator mechanism from said accumulator, ordinal latch means biased to a normal etective position to disable said power operated driving means, ordinal means operable by the keys of each order to move said latch means of like order to ineffective position, a digital multiplier storage means releasably engageable with said accumulator and digitally positionable from a normal zero position by operation of an ordinal actuator mechanism in response to operation of one of said keys representative of a multiplierto store a multiplier digit having the value of the key operated, ordinal movable means coupled to said storage means and operable to latch said latch means of like order in ineffective position, upon movement of said latch means in response to a subsequent operation of one of said keys, corresponding order representative of a multiplicand, for all positions of said storage means representative of a multiplier digit other than zero, and ordinal means cyclically operable by said power-operated driving means to restore said storage means to zero in digital increments with each cyclic operation of the corresponding actuator mechanism by said power-operated driving means.

8. A multi-bank power-operated key responsive calculating machine comprising a plurality of ordinal banks of keys, a multi-order accumulator, ordinal actuator mechanisms each controlled by the keys of a corresponding one of said ordinal banks to operate a corresponding order of said accumulator, ordinal normally disabled power-operated driving means each operable, in cyclic sequence, to advance said actuator mechanism of corresponding order differentially from a normal full cycle position to a position controlled by engagement with an operated one of said keys, to engage said advanced actuator mechanism with said accumulator, and to restore said actuator mechanism to full cycle position and disengage said actuator mechanism from said accumulator, ordinal latch means biased to a normal effective position to disable said power operated driving means, ordinal means operable by the keys of each order to move said latch means of like order to inelfective position, a multiorder digital multiplier storage means releasably engageable with said accumulator and operable by said actuator mechanisms when so engaged to store a multi-digit multiplier in response to operation of said keys representing said multi-digit multiplier, digitally movable counting means for each order of said storage means, means for connecting a selected order of said storage means to said counting means to set the counting means of all orders to a position representative of the value of the multiplier digit stored in said selected order, ordinal movable means coupled to each of said counting means to latch said latch means in the corresponding order in ineffective position, upon movement of said latch means to ineffective position in response to operation of a key of corresponding order representative of a multiplicand, for all positions of said counting means representative of a digit other than zero, means operatively coupled between each of said counting means and the actuator mechanism of its order to restore each said counting means to zero in digital increments with each cyclic operation of said actuator mechanism by said driving means, and means automatically operable upon restoration of all orders of said counting means to zero to control said connecting means to connect an adjacent order of said storage means rep-resenting a multiplier digit other than zero to said counting means.

9. A multi-bank power-operated key responsive calculating machine comprising a plurality of ordinal banks of keys, a multi-order accumulator, a plurality of ordinal actuator mechanisms each controlled by the keys of a corresponding one of said ordinal banks to operate a corresponding order of said accumulator, ordinal normally disabled power-operated driving means each operable, in cyclic sequence, to advance said actuator mechanism of corresponding order differentially from a normal full cycle position to a position controlled by engagement with an operated one of said keys, to engage said advanced actuator mechanism with said accumulator, and to restore said actuator mechanism to full cycle position and disengage said actuator mechanisms from said accumulator, latch means for each of said orders biased to a normal eifective position to disable the driving means of its order, means in each order operable by the keys of that order to move the latch means of that order to ineffective position, a multi-order digital multiplier storage means releasably engageable with said accumulator and digitally positionable in each of its orders, when so engaged, from a normal zero position by operation of the actuator mechanism of that order in response to operation of a key of that order representative of a multiplier digit to store a multiplier digit having the value of the key operated, digitally movable counting means for each order, means for connecting a selected order of said storage means to said counting means to set the counting means of all orders to a position representative of the multiplier digit stored in said selected order, a separate movable means in each order coupled to the counting means of that order to latch the latch means in that order in ineifective position in response to operation of a key of that order, after said setting of said counting means, for all positions of said counting means representative of a digit other than zero,l

and a separate coupling means in each order coupled between the counting means and the actuating mechanism of that order to restore the counting means in that order to zero in digital increments with each cyclic operation of the actuating mechanism of that order, all of said coupling means including in common a link shiftable upon engagement of said storage means with said accumulator into position operative to render said coupling means effective upon the operation of any of said keys.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,120,746 Rinsche Dec. 15, 1914 1,371,954 Turck Mar. l5, 1921 2,102,700 Gustafsson Dec. 21, 1937 2,241,102 Turck May 6, 1941 2,560,910 Toorell Jan. 28, 1947 2,609,145 Boyden Sept. 2, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 509,747 Great Britain July 20, 1939 699,914 Great Britain Nov. 18, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 2,956,741 October I8, i960 Christopher Frederick Webb It is hereby certified that error appears in the-printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Paten-b should read as correo-bed below.

Column 4, line 37, for "key 42" read n key stem 42 am; column 7, line 8g for "number" read number um column l2E line 39, for "formed" read m forward mg column 20, line l2"I 'for "mechanisms" read mechanism ma.

Signed and sealed this llth day of April l96l {SEAL} Arrest;

ERNEST W. SWIDER ARTHUR Wg CRGCKER Aeeing @meer Acting Commissioner of Patents UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent Noa 2,956,741 October 18, 1960 Christopher Frederick Webb e-printed specification It is hereby certified that error appears in th d that the said Letters of the above Anumbered, patent requiring correotionan Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 4, line 37, for "key 42" read m key stem 42 uw; column l2,

column 7, line 8, for "bomber" read number line 39, or "formed" read forward ww; column 20, line I2,

for "mechanisms" read f= mechanism n Signed and sealed this 11th day of April 1961o (SEAL) Attest:

WI ER ERNEST S D ARTHUR W. CRCKER .Mieming foer Acting Commissioner of Patents 

